0 S.A.C., 220 Scottish Horse, two guns.]

[Illustration: A Blockhouse.]

On June 3rd Colonel Hicks took over command of the Krugersdorp
sub-district, as Colonel Groves was down with measles, as was also
Lieutenant Bradford--an extraordinary disease for a man of the
Colonel's time of life.

On the 15th of June Colonel Groves handed over the Krugersdorp
sub-district to Brigadier-General Barker, R.E. Before leaving he said
some very nice things about the regiment, and we on our part were
sorry to lose him, as he had always had a good opinion of the
battalion, and had assisted the Colonel in his endeavours to put
Krugersdorp in a thorough state of defence.

On the 27th Lieutenant Frankland, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, came to
see us. It will be remembered that he was taken prisoner at the very
beginning of the war in the armoured-train disaster. Since the capture
of Pretoria he had been occupied on the line of communications. He
told us that Lieutenant Le Mesurier had probably never got over the
exposure to which he was subjected during his escape from Pretoria and
on his long march to Delagoa Bay, as he no sooner got over one attack
of fever than he was down with another. He also gave us an account of
the escape, which was a most gallant affair, and in the light of what
has since happened to the only other officers who escaped--Captain
Haldane and Mr. Winston Churchill--it seems hard luck that Le Mesurier
should have received nothing. He added that Lieutenant Grimshaw had
been attached to the Mounted Infantry since the relief, and that
Captain Lonsdale had got into the Staff College.

On July 1st two convoys went out, one under Major English and the
other under Captain Fetherstonhaugh, not returning until the 6th. The
remainder of the month brought forth nothing novel, however, and was
spent in strengthening posts and escorting convoys.

August also passed uneventfully, but on September 16th Colonel Hicks
was given command of a mixed force some 1000 strong, 170 of whom
belonged to the regiment, with orders to move along through the same
old Gatsrand country, visit posts, burn farms, collect cattle, &c.,
&c. He marched accordingly, but met with little opposition until well
inside the hilly country, where some sniping took place. After a
fortnight's trek he arrived in Pochefstroom, where he found General
Willson, who informed him that he was to succeed General Barker in
command of the Krugersdorp sub-district. He retu